You can do anything if you’re prepared to work for it: Cherbourg State School students show how hard they worked
to get some great Year-3 NAPLAN results last year. They include Quiytina Murray, Aquilla Malone, Ethan West, Colin
Saltner and Jacody Saltner-Weazel. Year-3 teacher aide Lisa Hansen and teacher Peter Bakhash encourage children
to use school to chase their dreams. Image supplied

by Marcus Priaulx
10 August 2013

F

ilming of Cherbourg State
School students is set to roll
next week as their results have
caught the eye of the Queensland
Government.
Camera crews are scheduled to
arrive on Thursday as the school is
closing the gap through its holistic
approach.
This ensures its children’s health
and wellbeing is addressed while
teaching them culture and the
curriculum.
All parts of the equation are
given equal weight and principal
Peter Sansby was contacted by
Education Queensland to say it
wished to highlight the school’s
efforts with a film.
He was told there had been a
significant improvement within its

Year-3 students’ academic results
measured by NAPLAN, in relation
to like schools.
“It’s because of the dedication
of our staff who put together the
concept of health, wellbeing,
teaching and culture within the
school’s workings,” Mr Sansby
said.
“We’re all working hard to
ensure the children’s results
continue to improve as they get
older in the upper part of the
school.”
How it works
Mr Sansby said the school had
consulted with the community and
placed a high expectation on its
students’ ability to do well.
It also provides a high-level of
education to the children about their
Indigenous traditions, culture and
history.
Partnerships with community

health workers and a sit-down
dining café that serves only healthy
meals, helps ensure the children’s
wellbeing and readiness to learn.
“Mums and dads now need
to ensure their children come to
school every day on time so their
children can chase their dreams and
be the best that they can be,” Mr
Sansby said.
“The community has told us the
three things they clearly wanted
the school to address was learning,
culture and the children’s health
and wellbeing.
“We’ve now developed a model
to make that a reality. The children
are responding and this is the
system Education Queensland has
acknowledged as best practise and
will promote to other like schools at
future conferences.”